Fatal crash profile · County
Traffic deaths in Lea County, New Mexico
County in New Mexico · United States
- Deaths, 2024
- 31
- Fatal crashes
- 30
- Population
- 74.4K
In 2024, 31 people died in 30 fatal crashes in Lea County, New Mexico. That was 72.2% more than in 2023 (18) and the most in any year since 2020. The death rate was 41.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with 19.2 in New Mexico and 11.5 in the United States. Lea County had the 2nd most traffic deaths among New Mexico's counties. Between 2020 and 2024, 98 people died, an average of 20 a year. Pedestrians accounted for 3% of deaths, and 40% of fatal crashes were speeding-related.
Deaths
Traffic deaths
41.6
deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024
- About double the rate in New Mexico: 19.2
- About 4 times the rate in the United States: 11.5
26.7
average deaths per 100,000 residents a year, 2020–2024
- About 1.3 times the average in New Mexico: 20.7
- About double the average in the United States: 12.3
+72%
change in deaths from 2023 to 2024
18 deaths in 2023, 31 in 2024
- New Mexico: -7%
- The United States: -4%
| Category | Deaths | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 14 | 13 |
| 2021 | 14 | 13 |
| 2022 | 21 | 17 |
| 2023 | 18 | 14 |
| 2024 | 31 | 30 |
People who died within 30 days of a crash. A fatal crash can kill more than one person.
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| Category | Deaths per 100,000 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 18.8 |
| 2021 | 19.2 |
| 2022 | 29.1 |
| 2023 | 24.6 |
| 2024 | 41.6 |
Uses Census population estimates, available from 2000.
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Road users
Who died
3%
of deaths were pedestrians
- About 15 percent of the share in New Mexico: 22%
- About 20 percent of the share in the United States: 18%
| Category | Deaths |
|---|---|
| Vehicle occupants and others | 23 |
| Pedestrians | 1 |
| Motorcyclists | 7 |
| Cyclists | 0 |
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| Type | Deaths | Share in Lea County | Share in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pedestrians | 1 | 3% | 22% |
| Motorcyclists | 7 | 23% | 12% |
| Cyclists | 0 | 0% | 1% |
| Alcohol-impaired driving crashes | 8 | 26% | 28% |
| Speeding-related crashes | 12 | 39% | 36% |
Alcohol-impaired and speeding-related count everyone killed in those crashes, so a death can appear in more than one row.
Crash factors
Speeding, alcohol, night and weekend crashes
40%
of fatal crashes were speeding-related
- About 1.1 times the share in New Mexico: 36%
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 28%
10%
of fatal crashes involved a drinking driver
- About 60 percent of the share in New Mexico: 17%
- About 40 percent of the share in the United States: 25%
| Category | Lea County | New Mexico | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Speeding-related | 10.0% | 17.2% | 24.8% |
| Alcohol-involved | 40.0% | 35.7% | 28.1% |
| At night | 76.7% | 59.5% | 53.6% |
| At weekends | 33.3% | 25.7% | 32.6% |
Share of fatal crashes. Alcohol-involved means a police-reported drinking driver.
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Timing
When crashes happen
77%
of fatal crashes happened at night
- About 1.3 times the share in New Mexico: 60%
- About 1.4 times the share in the United States: 54%
33%
of fatal crashes happened at weekends
- About 1.3 times the share in New Mexico: 26%
- About the same as the share in the United States: 33%
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| 12am | 3 |
| 1am | 5 |
| 2am | 5 |
| 3am | 1 |
| 4am | 3 |
| 5am | 11 |
| 6am | 6 |
| 7am | 5 |
| 8am | 0 |
| 9am | 2 |
| 10am | 2 |
| 11am | 2 |
| 12pm | 1 |
| 1pm | 1 |
| 2pm | 5 |
| 3pm | 2 |
| 4pm | 3 |
| 5pm | 3 |
| 6pm | 4 |
| 7pm | 4 |
| 8pm | 4 |
| 9pm | 5 |
| 10pm | 4 |
| 11pm | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Sun | 12 |
| Mon | 9 |
| Tue | 10 |
| Wed | 14 |
| Thu | 10 |
| Fri | 18 |
| Sat | 14 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Jan | 11 |
| Feb | 4 |
| Mar | 6 |
| Apr | 5 |
| May | 7 |
| Jun | 8 |
| Jul | 5 |
| Aug | 10 |
| Sep | 11 |
| Oct | 6 |
| Nov | 8 |
| Dec | 6 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Conditions
Weather and light
| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Clear | 82 |
| Cloudy | 2 |
| Rain | 1 |
| Severe Crosswinds | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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| Category | Fatal crashes |
|---|---|
| Dark - Not Lighted | 41 |
| Daylight | 29 |
| Dark - Lighted | 10 |
| Dusk | 3 |
| Dark - Unknown Lighting | 2 |
| Dawn | 2 |
All crashes 2020–2024. Crashes where conditions were not reported are left out.
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Roads and vehicles
Where and what, 2020–2024
Roads with the most fatal crashes
- SR-1817
- SR-12812
- SR-1765
- US-3804
- US-624
- US-62/1803
- US-822
- SR-2482
- SR-2062
- SR-18 N LOVINGTON HWY2
Road names as recorded in police reports.
| Category | Vehicles |
|---|---|
| Pickup trucks | 53 |
| Medium and heavy trucks | 42 |
| Cars | 28 |
| SUVs | 19 |
| Motorcycles | 12 |
| Other vehicles | 2 |
| Vans | 1 |
| Buses | 1 |
All crashes 2020–2024.
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Vehicles most often involved
- Chevrolet Silverado11
- Ford F-15010
- Freightliner Columbia7
- GMC Sierra7
- Ford F-3506
- Freightliner Cascadia5
- Ram 25005
- Dodge Ram4
- Ford F-2504
- Jeep Wrangler3
Reflects how common a vehicle is as well as crash involvement; not a safety rating.
Crashes
Fatal crashes
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Fatal crashes in 2024. Crashes without reported coordinates are not shown.
Filter crashes
| Date | Location | Road | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 3, 2024 | Hobbs | MU-E NAVAJO DR | 1 |
| Nov 25, 2024 | — | SR-128 | 1 |
| Nov 15, 2024 | Hobbs | SR-18 | 1 |
| Nov 11, 2024 | — | CR-21 DELAWARE BASIN RD | 1 |
| Oct 29, 2024 | Hobbs | SR-132 N DAL PASO ST | 1 |
| Oct 25, 2024 | Tatum | US-380 | 1 |
| Sep 22, 2024 | — | SR-128 | 1 |
| Sep 9, 2024 | — | CR-18 | 2 |
| Sep 8, 2024 | — | US-62 | 1 |
| Sep 7, 2024 | — | SR-18 N LOVINGTON HWY | 1 |
| Sep 4, 2024 | Hobbs | SR-18 N LOVINGTON HWY | 1 |
| Aug 17, 2024 | Hobbs | US-62 N SEMINOLE HWY | 1 |
| Aug 13, 2024 | — | US-62 | 1 |
| Aug 3, 2024 | — | US-380 E 2ND ST | 1 |
| Jul 10, 2024 | Eunice | SR-176 AVE O | 1 |
| Jun 29, 2024 | Hobbs | MU-5487 W SNYDER ST | 1 |
| Jun 21, 2024 | Hobbs | US-62 MARLAND BLVD | 1 |
| Jun 18, 2024 | — | SR-18 | 1 |
| Jun 9, 2024 | Hobbs | SR-132 | 1 |
| Jun 8, 2024 | Jal | CR-CAMPBELL RD | 1 |
| Jun 2, 2024 | — | SR-176 | 1 |
| May 24, 2024 | Jal | SR-18 | 1 |
| May 12, 2024 | Hobbs | MU-W BROADWAY | 1 |
| Apr 24, 2024 | — | CR-DELAWARE BASIN RD | 1 |
| Apr 10, 2024 | — | MU-E STANOLIND RD | 1 |
Explore
Nearby and related
Cities in Lea County
| Area | Deaths, 2024 | Per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Hobbs | 10 | 24.6 |
Nearby counties
Get updates for Lea County, New Mexico
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Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), 2020–2024. A fatal crash is one in which at least one person died within 30 days. Population: US Census Bureau estimates.